Chapter 134: Guidance

Boom! Boom!

Two figures descended from the heavens. Though their touch upon the ground was gentle, the mighty aura of a Demigod suffocated and oppressed Dongbo Xueying and the other eight. Gong Yu was somewhat better off, his aura more restrained. But Sikong Yang, the Pavilion Master, shone like a blazing sun, so dazzling that none dared meet his gaze. He seemed like a god—transcendent and domineering.

Indeed, he was a terrifying existence who had forged his Divine Core!

Once the Divine Core was formed, it meant he had one foot already in the realm of gods. Across the entire world, including the native immortals and the race of magical beasts, only four had ever condensed their Divine Core. Sikong Yang was one of them!

“It’s been a year since we last met. Today, I have come to see what progress you’ve made in your cultivation,” Sikong Yang’s cold gaze swept across the nine Skyborn warriors before him. “Same as always—each of you, one by one. Pu Yangbo, you first.”

“Yes, Master,” Pu Yangbo replied respectfully.

Sikong Yang rarely visited, but when he did, he offered guidance based on each individual’s strength, proceeding in order from the weakest to the strongest. Pu Yangbo was clearly the one who had long remained at the bottom of the ranking, and Sikong Yang was quite displeased with him.

“Your talent is decent, but you’re far too lazy and careless, always lingering in taverns and restaurants,” Sikong Yang said coldly. “I hope you can give me a pleasant surprise this time.”

Pu Yangbo felt an invisible pressure.

He did possess talent, but since childhood, his cultivation had always been lax. He found joy in indulgence—eating, drinking, and playing. Somehow, he progressed faster that way. If he were to force himself into relentless, solitary cultivation, he would go mad. Though he had long remained at the bottom of the rankings, he still felt a sense of bitterness and shame inside. After all, he had once been a peerless genius, even ranking among the top ten on the Longshan List. But over time, he had grown accustomed to it. If falling behind was his fate, then so be it—he would just live comfortably. At worst, he would be removed from the Elder of the Reserve (candidate elder) list.

In truth, unless under extreme circumstances, no one would actually be removed from the list. At worst, one would simply remain at the bottom, receiving the least resources.

“Yes, Master,” Pu Yangbo took a deep breath and answered.

“Blademaster,” Sikong Yang suddenly called out, his voice echoing through the heavens.

Whoosh!

From the back mountains of Zhuzhu Hill, a golden light shot forth, appearing in the air beside them. It was a golden-haired man carrying two warblades on his back. His forehead bore intricate markings, and his exposed arms were similarly etched with mysterious runes.

“Master,” the golden-haired man bowed respectfully.

“You will spar with Pu Yangbo,” Sikong Yang ordered.

Among the Xia Clan, aside from the Beastkin, golden hair was rare. This golden-haired man was not a true human, but rather a Flesh War Construct—a creation of the Xia ancestors after studying divine weapons from the Godly Realm. The Flesh War Constructs were cultivated from special embryonic flesh. Once matured, they would naturally develop souls. However, their physical forms were born as immortal bodies. Upon reaching maturity, they would attain their peak forms, capable of wielding the strength of either a Skyborn or a Saint.

As for their souls, they were inherently flawed, which made it difficult for them to advance far in cultivation. Yet, due to their near-immortality, they could usually master techniques to perfection, reaching the level of a Grandmaster. A few could even attain the Domain of All Things. As for grasping the “True Essence”… even with their near-immortal lifespans, only a handful in Xia Clan history had ever managed to grasp it.

Among those cultivated by the Xia Clan, there was a group of sparring partners—thirteen Flesh War Constructs, each at the peak of Saint-level strength and having reached the Domain of All Things. They were considered among the strongest of the Flesh War Constructs in the Xia Clan. Wielding different weapons, they were commonly referred to by Dongbo Xueying and others as “Blademaster,” “Swordmaster,” “Spear Master,” “Stingmaster,” and so on.

“Yes, Master,” the golden-haired man replied, then drew both warblades from his back with a sharp clang.

Holding a blade in each hand, he stood in midair, gazing at Pu Yangbo in the distance with a slight smile. “Come on, kid.”

“Blademaster, watch out,” Pu Yangbo took a step forward.

Whoosh!

His figure vanished into thin air and reappeared behind the golden-haired man’s flank. With a slash of his blade, he struck from the side, the blade-light appearing ghostlike and elusive.

Clang! The golden-haired man casually blocked behind his back with one blade, stopping Pu Yangbo’s treacherous strike. Pu Yangbo was sent flying backward from the impact, then vanished again.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Pu Yangbo’s figure flickered from place to place, launching repeated attacks.

“Hah!” Pu Yangbo’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he thrust his blade forward. The tip of his sword cut through the air, creating ripples in space itself. As the golden-haired man moved to block, his expression suddenly changed—because the blade in Pu Yangbo’s hand seemed to vanish into water, disappearing within the spatial ripples.

The golden-haired man immediately leapt back!

Then, space rippled again, and the blade reappeared—already at his throat!

Clang! The golden-haired man had been prepared and barely managed to block Pu Yangbo’s strike.

“Hmm.” Sikong Yang, watching from afar, gave a slight nod.

Pu Yangbo’s figure kept teleporting, and his blade could even ghost through space.

Dongbo Xueying watched in awe.

The mysteries of space were indeed terrifying. If Pu Yangbo wished to escape, even he might not be able to catch him! And the power of his blade, infused with spatial mysteries, was immense. In the mortal world, someone like Xiang Pangyun would be utterly helpless against Pu Yangbo—hundreds or even a thousand of them would be sliced apart like tofu within mere breaths! And this was only the beginning of his mastery over spatial mysteries.

Whoosh!

Pu Yangbo flashed back, standing once again beside Dongbo Xueying and the others.

“Your swordplay has improved a little,” Sikong Yang said indifferently. “I thought you could only rely on teleportation. At least now you’ve begun applying spatial mysteries to your sword techniques.”

Pu Yangbo lowered his head in embarrassment.

In the past, he had only known how to run away. When it came to teleportation and evasion, he was the strongest among the nine. But his combat effectiveness was the weakest. Only recently, after reaching the second stage of the Domain of All Things, had he begun to integrate spatial mysteries into his swordplay.

“Apply spatial mysteries more in your sword techniques. You are at least at the second stage of the Domain of All Things. Hurry up and pass the task of crossing the underground magma river. Dongbo Xueying passed it at the age of thirty-nine. Aren’t you ashamed?” Sikong Yang said.

“Yes, Master,” Pu Yangbo obediently replied.

“Next, Yu Feng,” Sikong Yang called.

Another Flesh War Construct was summoned. Yu Feng ranked eighth, but he was more dangerous than Pu Yangbo.

His mastery of spatial mysteries was more specifically known as “Shadow Spatial Mysteries.” He could completely merge into shadow space. In battle, he would entirely vanish from sight. Occasionally, a weapon would suddenly appear from the shadows, striking the enemy in a bizarre and unpredictable manner. If the strike missed, the weapon would immediately retreat into the shadows, only to emerge again in another treacherous ambush.

Truthfully, though his combat strength wasn’t overwhelming, most of Dongbo Xueying’s companions were reluctant to fight Yu Feng. Because he would hide within the shadows, striking out with his thin blade in a treacherous manner. Fortunately, his current strength was limited, and he couldn’t remain in shadow space for long.

…

The seventh-ranked was Zhang Peng. Though he also mastered spatial mysteries, he pursued a path of direct combat.

He wielded axes—two thin, razor-sharp axes that moved with incredible speed. The axes carried blades formed from spatial waves—extremely sharp and terrifying “Spatial Blades.” If Chi Qiu Bai’s “Spatial Cutting Essence” was a fusion of wind mysteries and spatial mysteries, forming a fierce cutting force, then Zhang Peng’s “Spatial Blades” were pure blades formed from spatial waves—extremely powerful.

…

One by one, they took their turns. Wu Cang’s mastery of Death Mysteries sent chills down the spines of those who watched. In battle, his entire body would be shrouded in deathly aura. This aura was so deadly that Dongbo Xueying and the others dared not touch it with their bodies. A single finger’s contact would result in rapid decay, requiring immediate amputation. Once the deathly aura spread, death was inevitable.

These mysteries, which could one day become “Third Grade Essences,” were already terrifying in their current state.

Of course, the most terrifying was Dou Rourou’s mastery of Time Mysteries… but she was currently ranked first and would only appear last.

Now it was the turn of Situ Hong, ranked fourth. Situ Hong was the most domineering and fierce in battle—each of his strikes seemed to shatter space itself.

“Situ Hong,” Sikong Yang said coldly. “You are the eldest among you all, yet you still haven’t broken through to the third stage of the Domain of All Things! I am truly disappointed. You’ve been stuck at this bottleneck for nearly a hundred years now?”

“I will strive harder,” Situ Hong replied hastily.

“Hmm.”

Sikong Yang didn’t say much. He would give detailed guidance to those he favored, but for others, he was too lazy to speak. He had once held high hopes for Situ Hong. After all, among the four who mastered spatial mysteries, Situ Hong was the most talented. Yet he had been stuck at this bottleneck for far too long. If this continued, Sikong Yang would have no choice but to lower Situ Hong’s ranking. Zhang Peng, who was of similar age to Situ Hong, was less talented and somewhat dull-witted, but he was already nearing the limit of the second stage of the Domain of All Things.

“I should consider raising Zhang Peng’s ranking later,” Sikong Yang mused inwardly.

“Next…” Sikong Yang’s gaze fell upon Dongbo Xueying, and a faint smile appeared on his face. “Dongbo Xueying!”

He held a special favor for Dongbo Xueying.

Firstly, Dongbo Xueying’s progress had been truly rapid—perhaps within a hundred years, he would have the potential to forge the Water-Fire Essence! Secondly, he was a prodigy from Sikong Yang’s own Water Source Pavilion. Back then, it was Chao Qing who strongly recommended him, and Sikong Yang had also supported his inclusion. Thus, Dongbo Xueying had finally been listed among the Elder of the Reserve (candidate elders).